For someone entrusted with maintaining public safety, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon’s judgment is seriously faulty, as he has demonstrated time and time again.
The attorney general’s office in California has filed 11 felony charges against Diana Teran, which is the most recent development regarding Gascon’s appalling decision-making. Teran is charged with accessing police officer personnel files illegally in order to get information that she would have likely used prior to or during trials.
What is the connection between this and Gascon? Teran was first employed by Gascon in 2021 as a special adviser and then promoted to lead the “Justice System Integrity Division,” which brings legal action against attorneys and cops. Since then, Teran has advanced to the position of associate district attorney and served as Gascon’s chief of ethics.
However, Teran’s employment raises issues that go beyond this purported offense. Another defense-focused higher-up in Gascon’s office, Teran is a defense-oriented individual who was hired from the public defender’s office. Gascon is a pro-criminal “reformer” who prioritizes assisting offenders in avoiding jail time over maintaining public safety. He also appointed an abolitionist who supported jail theft as his chief of staff.
Instead of carrying out his duty in the criminal justice system, Gascon has converted the district attorney’s office into a makeshift public defender office. He is making every effort to utilize his position to shorten the sentences of criminals. As a result, someone like Teran—who, criminal accusations notwithstanding, has no place in a prosecutor’s office—is hired and promoted.
